"Cheyenne" The Rebellion (TV Episode 1959) Poster

(TV Series)

(1959)

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9/10
Cheyenne gets caught up in the Mexican Revolution
BrianDanaCamp19 September 2019
I've seen other episodes of "Cheyenne" that feature the title character on an adventure in Mexico, but "The Rebellion" (Season 4 / #3) may be the best. Cheyenne has to contend with a former friendly adversary, bandit Luis Cardenas (Rodolfo Acosta), who now leads the revolutionary forces in northern Mexico working with Benito Juarez in opposing the French-backed regime of Emperor Maximilian in the year 1867. Cheyenne has been assigned to escort an American agent who is captured early on by the French and, as he tries to determine the fate of the agent, seeks to stay as uninvolved as possible. However, he is eventually forced to confront the increasingly power-mad Cardenas. It all culminates in a plot against Juarez that only Cheyenne can thwart.

There's a strong cast of guest stars topped by Mexican actor Acosta, who has one of the juiciest roles in his long career of acting in Hollywood westerns, both big and small screen. Others in the cast include Faith Domergue, John Marley, Joe De Santis, Carlos Romero, Paul Dubov and, in the role of Juarez, Frank DeKova, who is quite good. There is occasional stock footage from the 1939 Warner Bros. feature, JUAREZ, which starred Paul Muni as Juarez. I watched this as part of the Encore Western Channel's afternoon lineup of TV westerns.
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8/10
"What happens when the people find out what you really are?"
faunafan1 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Cheyenne Bodie is bringing a wagonload of cargo along with an American agent named Brady into Mexico and finds himself smack dab in the middle of a countrywide revolt against Emperor Maximilian. His life is saved by a sympathetic Army sergeant and he wakes up in the camp of notorious bandit-turned-revolutionary Luis Cardenas, whom he'd known years before when he was just Cardenas, the wily bandit. Bodie had been commissioned to see to it that Brady complete his mission and return home safely, so he agrees to stay with the rebels until he finds out what happened to Brady.

Manuel Lagrone is a revolutionary who prefers fighting with words instead of bullets to achieve liberation. He has seen his old compatriot, now self-proclaimed General Cardenas, change over the years until he no longer trusts him to lead the peasants' revolt to a noble conclusion. Cardenas' transgressions move from a simple lust for power and gold to plotting to assassinate the rightful president of the republic of Mexico, Benito Juarez. It's up to Cheyenne Bodie not only to save Juarez and Lagrone but to stop Cardenas' narcissistic advance toward dictatorship.

This isn't the first time Cheyenne has reluctantly become involved in the Mexican rebellion against the French. In this instance, he sticks around only to fulfill his duty on Brady's behalf but winds up helping the true patriots of the revolution, still reluctant but he will also defend against blatant injustice when called upon to do so. He's aided by a solid cast of convincing revolutionaries, some heroic, others not so much. Rudolph (Rodolfo) Acosta is very good as the sly Cardenas, who would probably have been better off if he'd stuck to simply robbing banks. Joe De Santis is Lagrone, the intellectual fighter who, aided by his beloved Maria (Faith Domergue), first mistrusts Bodie then enlists his help. Frank DeKova, one of the most ubiquitous of Clint Walker's costars throughout the series (usually as an Indian chief), here is somber El Presidente, Juarez. The lowly Mexican sergeant who saves Cheyenne's life is played by veteran actor John Marley, whose star didn't rise until the 1970s when he appeared to acclaim in such award-winning movies as "Love Story" and "The Godfather." That is one of the distinctions "Cheyenne" shared with other Westerns of the 50s and 60s, that many of the supporting players went on to have solid careers in Hollywood. It's fun to see them at the beginning of their trek to success.

As ever, Clint Walker is the star of the show, never being overshadowed by anyone, even those whom we recognize today as other icons of film and television. His legacy of being a stalwart advocate of honesty and integrity, while looking better than anyone else doing it, is what keeps us anticipating the next episode.
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